


A hidden kindness

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Feudal Japan, Gen, Major Character Injury, Punishment, Rope Bondage, rope binding as art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 12:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13076541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Peter is an officer in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and came to Japan with Carl Thunberg, a Swedish naturalist who came as a surgeon on a VOC ship called the Schoonzicht. Thunberg´s main purpose was to collect specimens for the gardens in Leiden. They left for Japan on June 20th 1775 from Batavia. In august 1775 they arrived at Dejima in the bay of Nagasaki. The town is connected with a single small bridge and they are hardly allowed off the island. The only locals who are allowed regular contact were the interpreters of Nagasaki.The news spread quickly that the newly arrived physician seemed to help the local doctors cure the ‘Dutch disease’ (Syphilis), he was granted more and more visits to the city and even allowed one-day trips in the vicinity. Peter always accompanies him to make sure he isn´t harmed.Due to his scientific reputation Thunberg was given the opportunity in 1776 to accompany the Dutch ambassador to the Shogun´s court in Edo.





	A hidden kindness

**Author's Note:**

> This fic fills the ‘ritualized pain’ square on my H/C Bingo card.

‘Neal, you are summoned to the Shogun.’

Neal looks up from his drawing and slowly makes his way to the inner sanctum where the Shogun is spending time with Umali No Kata, his favorite concubine. Neal knocks on the wooden frame of the paper door, before opening it.

When he enters, he bows and kneels down on the bamboo mat.

‘You summoned me, master?’ He says in Japanese.

‘Your Japanese is improving. I am impressed Neal.’

‘Thank you Master. How can I be of service?’

‘One of the Dutchmen saved Tokugawa Lemoto. He got wounded defending my precious son and is gravely ill, I have send for my personal physician. I am in his debt. You speak his language. I want you to take of him.’

‘Of course master.’

Neal wiggles backwards towards the door when Umali speaks up. He immediately stills.

‘I would like to see him tied.’

Inwardly Neal cringes, but he stays still.

‘You heard Umali, present yourself.’

Neal moves closer to Umali and she gets up to get ropes. Neal takes of his clothes and folds them neatly while he waits to be bound.

Umali is a master with ropes and soon Neal is wearing an intricately tied rope harness. He knows it will hurt soon, but for now the well-worn jute feels like an intense massage. She allowed him movement, so he will be able to walk, she isn´t always that benevolent. He is allowed to dress and to tend to the Dutch officer, with the order to come back later that night and report.

When he leaves the room, he is told by a servant where the officer is located and that the physician already tended to the man, but left to get more herbs.

The moment he quietly slides open the door to the room, he is surprised to see it is the handsome officer he saw a couple of weeks ago with the Dutch Opperhoofd when they presented the gifts to the Shogun.

He walks over to the man who lays on a futon and can see the man is feverish. His hair is plastered to his head and there is a fine sheen of sweat on his chest. He asks one of the servants to get a bowl of water and cloth. The man is sleeping, or unconscious, Neal can´t tell, but doesn´t want to disturb him, so he waits for the servant to return.

 

* *  *

 

Peter tries to fight his way to consciousness, but he can´t quite make it. He is hot and itchy. He tries to move and someone must have noticed, because he can hear voices, but can´t quite understand what they are saying or if they even addressing him. Someone touches his leg and the pain flashes through him. He wants to cry out, but everything goes black before he can.

The next time he wakes, someone is dabbing his face with a wet cloth. He pries his eyes open and looks in a pair of blue eyes.

‘Elizabeth?’ he whispers.

He can hear a chuckle.

‘No, my name is Neal, not Elizabeth, who is she, your wife?’

Peter want to say something but he is just too tired and lets himself fall asleep again.

It feels like an eternity when he finally is able to opens his eyes. He is lying on a what feels like a hard bed. When he wants to get up, he groans and someone stirs next to him on the floor. It is the man he saw before, in one of the rooms he passed when they first arrived at the palace. The man had been dressed in a kimono and his hair was done in the same intricate way the Samurai men wore their hair, but he clearly isn`t Japanese. He had wanted to ask who the man was, but the interpreter made clear they weren´t going to discuss the matter. Realizing this was not the moment, Peter had left it at that.

The man gets up and kneels next to him.

‘Good to see you awake. How are you feeling?’

‘Sore, sick’ Peter croaks.

Neal claps his hands and a servant enters.

‘Mizu.’

The servant retreats.

‘I send for water. My name is Neal, I was told your name is Peter.’

Peter doesn´t trust his voice just yet and nods.

A couple of minutes later the servant returns and hands Neal a cup and pitcher with water.

‘Arigatougozaimasu’

The man bows and leaves the room. Neal pours some of the water in the cup and hands it to Peter who gulps it down.

‘You speak Japanese.’ It is a statement, not a question.

Neal nods.

‘It was a necessary step in my survival and status in court.’

‘Are you a prisoner?’

Neal nods with a small smile.

‘You can call me that.’

‘Neal, the Shogun wants to see you.’

Neal acknowledges the man and gets up.

‘I need to go see the Shogun but rest, I will be back and will bring food now that you are awake.’

Peter nods trying to find a more comfortable position.

 

* *  *

 

‘What happened to you?’

Neal looks up, a bit confused.

‘What do you mean by what happened to me?’

‘How did you end up as an indentured servant of the Shogun?’

Neal looks down and smiles.

‘Well as an officer you know the VOC ships are only allowed to dock at Dejima, right?’

‘Yes. The Shogun is very strict about that.’

‘Well, our captain must have made a mistake in his navigation, because we arrived at Usuki Bay in Kyushu. We entered land because we were starving. Only 24 of us survived.’

Neal has a vacant look an Peter doesn´t dare to ask with how many men they left Holland. Neal must be able to read the unasked question of his face.

‘We mustered 110.’ Neal says softly, ‘they killed most of the remaining crew, we were no match for the Japanese warriors. I was spared because the Samurai who was meant to kill me, saw the drawings I was making and knew the Shogun would like my art.’

‘So it was your art that saved you?’

‘Yeah. I guess so. First I tried to escape, but Samurai are very good at hayanawa.’

Peter looks at Neal, asking for a translation.

‘It is a way of tying and restraining a prisoner with rope.’ Neal explains.

‘Like what I saw last week?’

‘No, that is Kinbaku-bi. I can only translate it as _the beauty of tie-binding_. The Shogun and his wives enjoy to see me in the bindings.’

‘That is torture.’ Peter states firmly.

‘No, it really isn´t. It could be if they want it to be, but they take good care of me, the bindings don´t give permanent damage. The honor of a Samurai warrior is rated on how well he takes charge of his prisoner. The technique they use to tie their prisoners shows the honor and status of the Samurai. There are rules to follow.’

Peter looks disturbed and interested at the same time.

‘The first rule is that a prisoner is not allowed to be able to slip his bonds. Second, not to cause any physical or mental injury. Others are not allowed to see the techniques and the results has to be made beautiful to look at.’

‘Neal, that is just disturbing and they are keeping you a prisoner.’

‘Yes, but I am lucky they didn´t convict me to commit seppuku.’

Neal sees the stare of incomprehension in Peter´s eyes again.

‘Death by self-disembowelment.’

‘Convict you to the death penalty?’

‘No, I mean suicide. Being captured is a disgrace here. A warrior would want to commit suicide before being captured. Only the high social classes get the change to commit this ritualized suicide. Others are crucified or even boiled to death.’

‘This is a seriously disturbed society.’

Neal gives the small smile again. He can only agree with Peter, but he also has learned to understand The Japanese high values of moral and status.

‘So they use you as an art form?’

Neal is taken aback by the remark, but thinks about it and then nods.

‘Yeah, in the beginning, the binding was torture, but I must have impressed them because now it is like an art form and it feels more like a form of meditation.’

Peter has to admit Neal looks healthy so they must take care of him.

‘Are you free to come and go?’

‘Oh yeah, as long as I stay inside the palace.’

‘So, we can go outside?’

‘Yeah, sure. Wait. I will get dressed to go outside.’

Neal gets up and leaves the space, closing the paper doors. A couple of minutes later he re-enters the space and Peter can only stare.

‘What?’

Peter shakes his head.

‘Sorry, I…’

Neal looks gorgeous. He is wearing what appears to be a blue kimono with a train of two feet long. His hair is pulled back in a bun. Peter shakes his head again, he desperately thinks about his beloved Elizabeth. They haven´t see each other in nearly two years.

‘Where would you like to go?’

‘I would just like to take a stroll outside. To catch some fresh air.’

‘We can do that.’

Neal helps Peter up and takes the crutch so Peter can take some of the weight of his leg. When they are outside, it is more chilly than Peter expected. It is slow going, not only because of Peter´s injury, but the kimono makes that Neal has to walk very carefully not to trip over the train. Peter must have stared at it, because Neal explains.

‘I am wearing a naga-hakama. It looks like a normal hakama except for the length in both the back and the front. It impends my ability to walk normally helping preventing a surprise attack of escape.’

‘It looks very effective.’

‘It is.’

Peter takes a deep breath. ‘It is good to be outside.’

The garden they are walking in is gorgeous. It has a sense of peace over it. Peter enjoys it and would like to stay outside longer but he is still recuperating and is easily tired. Neal notices that he starts to lean on the crutch more.

‘Let’s go back inside.’ Neal suggests.

When they re-enter the house, Neal asks one of the servants for rice-cake and tea. Peter lies down on the futon, he hates to admit it, but he overdid it again and his leg hurts.

When the tea arrives, Neal hands him a piece of rice-cake. It is delicious. The taste is sweet and although Peter is not a big fan of foreign food, this threat is nice. A lot better than the half rotten food they get on the ships.

‘But how did you end up here? The Shogun is not so keen on foreigners.’

‘He asked for us to visit him.’

‘Well, you were summoned. There is a difference. He wants to show you who is in charge. He lets the Dutch Opperhoofd make a trip that takes a month to bring him presents and tell him the latest gossips. Let me guess? He made you wait for more than two weeks before he saw your party.’

Peter looks up in surprise.

‘He did. I understood he always does it. That it is protocol.’

Then it dawns on Peter.

‘You were there.’

‘Yes I was. Behind one of the bamboo curtains. Just like his wives.’

So you saw us crawl over the floor?’ Peter´s cheeks still redden from embarrassment.

Neal nods with that small smile, looking down. Peter notices that Neal adapted a lot from his Japanese “hosts”. He seems to have adapted to their lifestyle during his captivity. He tells himself that it is just a survival instinct. He wonders if he is a captive as well.

‘You look tired. Why don´t you rest?’

Neal gets up and quickly leaves the room. Peter hates to admit it, but he is tired and glad that he can take a nap.

 

* *  *

 

‘Peter?’

Peter startles awake when someone shakes him.

‘Peter, you need to wake up.’

‘I am up.’

‘It´s dinner time and you need to eat to keep up your strength.’

‘I am up. What are we having?’

‘Abura-age.’

Peter gives Neal a look.

‘Sorry, it is like fried bean curd. It is delicious. Try it.’

Neal kneels and hands Peter his food with a spoon. He takes a portion for himself and chopsticks and starts eating. Again, Peter is surprised to see how Neal adapted to this life. Neal pours him a cup of sake and they toast. The alcohol hits him hard and seems to go straight to his brain.

‘So what happened to you exactly? I was told you got hurt saving the Shogun´s son.’

‘I didn´t know the boy was the Shogun´s son. I saw two men dressed in black ambush the boy. I intervened and we fought. Man, these guys were good. I was able to fend them off for a while but eventually was stabbed in the leg. It didn´t feel that bad at the moment. Luckily by that time, guards appeared and the remaining men fled. I started feeling worse and worse until I must have passed out.’

‘The cut itself wasn´t too deep, but the blade of the knife was poisoned.’

That is a surprise to Peter.

‘We feared for your life. But between the Dutch physician and the Shogun´s, they were able to save you and your leg.’

Peter looks up in surprise, he hadn´t realized his injury was so serious.

‘Can I have some water?’

‘Sure.’

Neal grimaces when he gets up, quickly hiding his facial expression.

‘Are you hurt?’

Neal shakes his head.

‘No, I am not.

‘What is it then?’

‘’Nothing. Do you feel up like a bath?’

Peter thinks about it, but he really could use a bath, he reeks, so he nods. Neal walks out of the room and Peter studies him, noticing how stiffly Neal walks. The kimono can´t be easy on Neal, but now it is different. He can hear Neal give orders in Japanese before returning. Neal helps him up and they slowly make their way to the room where there is a large wooden tub. Now that Neal is supporting him, he can feel ropes under Neal´s kimono and he wants to ask, but doesn´t know if it would be embarrassing for Neal to talk about. Neal quickly helps Peter undress. Next Neal takes off his kimono and Peter can see what looks like a rope harness.

‘What are you wearing?’

‘It is called a Nawa Shibari harness. They are worn as a punishment.’

‘Does it hurt?’

‘No, not really, it makes breathing difficult. The rope burns where it is tight over the skin.’

‘Sounds uncomfortable.’

‘Yeah, the effect increases insidiously over time. It will hurt over time, but for now it is OK.’

‘What did you do that required punishment?’

‘I was too late meeting up with the Shogun to report on your progress.’

‘You were taking care of me.’

‘It is OK, I have had worse, this is just a reminder to let me know my place. Let me wash you.’

‘It’s OK, I can do it myself. Wouldn´t we want to be in the tub to wash?

‘Are you sure? I don´t mind and no, you wash before so you can enter the tub clean.’

Peter shakes his head. It is a strange culture. Neal hands Peter a washcloth and Peter refreshes himself. When he and Neal are ready, Neal guides Peter to the large wooden tub. Peter enjoys the warm water and closes his eyes. When he opens them he can see Neal smiling at him.

‘What is it?’

‘Nothing, you were so relaxed, it was good to see all the pain wash from your face.’

Peter smiles.

‘It was a great idea to come here. This is very relaxing.’

When the water starts to cool, they leave the tub and prepare for the night. Peter is still a bit rosy from the warmth and he falls asleep easy.

He wakes when he hears moaning. He doesn´t move at first, just listens. It is Neal, next to him on the floor. Peter pushes himself up in a sitting position. Luckily it is a full moon and he can see Neal writhing and moaning.

‘Neal?’

‘Neal, wake up, what is wrong?’

Neal startles awake when Peter touches him.

‘What is wrong?’

‘You tell me, you are moaning, are you in pain?’

‘It is fine, sorry that I woke you.’

‘Is it the harness? Of course it is the harness. The wet rope has dried, hasn´t it. The knots have tightened?’

Neal nods.

‘It´s OK. The Shogun will be pleased. He loves to see the pattern of the harness imprinted on my skin. It will be taken off in the morning. Sorry to have woken you. Go back to sleep.’

 

* *  *

 

The next morning Peter wakes and Neal is not around. He must have been summoned to the Shogun. He slowly sits up and finds a black kimono on the stool. It is neatly folded together with some fresh undergarments and slippers.

Peter slowly pushes himself in an upright position and studies the undergarment. It seems to be a length of cloth and he is unsure how to put it on. He turns when he hears a snicker behind him. It is Neal and once again he looks stunning. He is wearing a bright blue, what was it called again? a Hakama? His hair is pulled in a topknot. But he also looks wiped out and drained. Neal slowly makes his way towards Peter and takes the undergarment from him.

‘It is called a Fundoshi, here let me help.’

Neal winds the cloth around Peter´s hips, securing it at the small of his back and brining the excess forward between Peter´s legs and tucking it through the cloth belt. When Neal straightens out, he can see Peter is looking away in embarrassment.

‘I see the Shogun provided you with a Kamishimo.’ Neal looks impressed. He helps Peter in the traditional kimono and the sleeveless jacket.

While Neal is helping him in his clothes, Peter can feel Neal isn´t wearing the rope harness anymore.

‘Did you see the Shogun?’

‘Yes, he asked me if you are feeling up to giving him the Oranda fusetu Gaki.’

When Peter raises his eyebrows, Neal laughs.

‘The Dutch news report.’

‘Didn´t the Opperhoofd give it to him?’

Neal shakes his head. ‘No, after the attack, the Shogun removed all foreigners from his court, you and I are the only ones left.’

Peter whistles through his teeth. He hadn´t expected that.

‘OK, of course I will do it, it is not like there is another option, is there?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Shall we have breakfast?’

‘Yes, please.’

Neal helps Peter outside to a porch where a low table is set out with dishes and cups. Neal lowers Peter onto the cushions and kneels down on the mat.

The food is as always delicious and the tea exquisite. Peter has to admit, he didn´t know the Japanese had such a refined cuisine.

‘Can I see?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Where the harness was?’

Neal slowly exposes a shoulder and Peter can see the angry red marks on his pale skin.

‘What does it feel like?’

‘At first, you will notice the ropes around your neck and between your legs, it is sort of a burning sensation. Later there is this constricting feeling around your stomach and chest, which is impossible to escape by breathing in or holding in your stomach, because the harness adjusts to compensate. Eventually there is this sharp cutting pain when the harness shifts. But when I am allowed to meditate, I get this peace over me that I can´t explain.’

‘Can you get out of it?’

‘Yes, there is a system of escapes out of most ties, it is called Murai Ha Sumi Kakagoshi. But most require dislocating one´s own shoulder, so I am not inclined to try unless it is really necessary.’

Peter nods. That makes sense.

 

* *  *

 

Peter gets better over time, the food is healthy and quickly building his strength and a big contrast against the conditions on the ships they use to come to Japan on.

When he arrives for dinner, Neal is not there. It is not uncommon that Neal is summoned to come to the Shogun, so he eats and decides to have a stroll through the palace.

He looks inside one of the many chambers of the Shogun and can see Neal sitting cross-legged on a tatami-mat, bound in a rope harness. Neal has his eyes closed and his breathing seems controlled. Peter assumes Neal is meditating.

‘He is being punished.’

Peter startles, he hadn´t heard the man approach. It is one of the interpreters. ‘How do you know? I have seen him bound on many occasions.’

‘Sitting cross-legged is a position of dishonor in our culture. And they used wet ropes. When they dry, and they already did, the knots tighten. He will be sore.’

Peter is intrigued and appalled at the same time by the torture that Neal seems to undergo on a regular basis.

‘Do you know what he is punished for?’

‘I am not that close to the court. I am sorry. Let´s go back to your room.’

Peter nods, and moves away while still looking at Neal´s still form.

  

* *  *

‘The Shogun has granted your request of releasing Neal.’

Peter smiles, this is what he was hoping for, but he wasn´t sure if the Shogun would grant him his request.

‘Neal will be released for three Persian stallions. They can´t be older than 9 years and they need to be trained.’ One of the ministers tells Peter.

Peter stares in shock at the man.

‘Where do I get those? It will take me a month to get back to Dejima and then another month to get to Batavia, then I need to find the horses and then two months back.’

The minister doesn´t look impressed.

‘So what are you waiting for?’

Peter nods. He wants to talk to Neal, to explain what is going to happen, but he can´t see him anywhere. He can only guess that Neal is kept behind the bamboo curtains and knows that he will be back.

‘Neal, if you can hear me, I will be back. I promise, OK?’

If it had anyone else than Peter, he would have been removed from the palace or at least severely punished, but since he has earned the Shogun´s respect, he is allowed to leave the palace unharmed. He is even provided a horse, food and extra clothing. He ascents his horse and is off towards Dejima. He has a lot to do if he wants to free Neal.


End file.
